


About the room

by bymak



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode: s04e05 Divide and Conquer, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:46:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22181272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bymak/pseuds/bymak
Summary: "Carter…""Sir… None of this has to leave this room.""We're okay with that?""Yes, Sir."What if they figure that sometimes things are easier said than done?
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 12
Kudos: 63





	1. The second attempt

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in FF dot net many years ago.  
> All mistakes are my own (and yes, they might sound OOC)

“Jack?” She called entering his house.

She shouldn’t be there, and she knew it. Not after what happened earlier that day, and not despite (or because of) what they confessed earlier.

Sam was starting to notice that what she was doing could create some major issues - or maybe solve them. On the other hand, she was beginning to hope for him to have gone to Minnesota as he had said he would when the downtime was finally announced.

‘But,’ her mind provided, ‘you are inside his house, and his door was unlocked.’

In a panic attack, she took a step walking backward and hit the noisiest plank of his home. One they all knew where it was and how to avoid it. The one Jack resisted changing because it was a loud alarm in case someone strange entered his home.

She gasped for air, and her eyes widened. She hadn’t noticed she was that far in, and the towel-wrapped and gun-pointing Jack, for sure didn’t know she was the one that was breaking and entering.

“Carter? What the hell?” Jack chastised her, lowering the gun on the closest place he could find. She didn’t notice his action, too enthralled by the drops drifting down his chest.

“Carter?” he asked again, following her eyes and blushing fiercely as his pupils dilated at their own accord. He wanted to move, to hide, hell! To time travel! But he didn’t. And stubbornly convinced himself he didn’t want more.

Sam wanted all the same. However, she acknowledged bravely, if only to herself, that she wanted so much more.

She wanted to trace the path of that droplet, which had just lost itself against the towel on his hips, and she wanted to know what it was like to be close enough to him, to touch him, to taste him. She wanted to know how it would be like to have his touch imprinted on her skin in the same way his eyes were branded on her soul.

She wanted it all.

“Sam, I swear to God that if you don’t stop looking at me like that, I won’t keep it in the room, as you asked me to.”

She trembled, the only thing she heard was her name coming from his lips. She licked her lips and took one step forward, unconsciously avoiding the noisy plank.

“What if…” she started as he held his breath.

“I…” she trailed off, not quite sure of what she was doing. Her mind kicked in and told her she was making a fool of herself. “I’m sorry,” she said and turned around. But she remained glued to the same place she was. He didn’t move either. She scrubbed her face with one hand.

“Today was,” she huffed. “I don’t even know what it was, damn it! Why this can’t be, Jack? Why can’t we be?” she asked, and her voice trembled. He walked towards her and embraced her from behind.

“I’m sorry, Sam,” he repeated in her ear a hundred times. She turned around in his arms and her tears mixed up with the droplets coming down from his hair.

“Shit, I don’t even know how it feels kissing you! Or being kissed by you! And we are always in danger. I almost lost you today,” she whispered against his chest.

“I know,” he told her, and she nodded. If there was anyone out there who could understand what was going on in her head, it was him. After all, he was in the same wagon she was in, and he had confessed that much.

Exchanging a glance, they sighed.

Earlier that day, they had publicly confessed to all the people in the room that they cared about each other a lot more than they were supposed to.

If she was honest with herself, she wasn’t oblivious to that knowledge before, at least not on her part. And then, after that mission, it was clear for both. It took her getting trapped on the wrong side of a wall, to see all the love he felt for her in those deep brown eyes of his, just like he had seen in her eyes. Their care for each other was clear in their actions throughout their relationship or lack thereof. He did things for her, and she did things for him. They willingly sacrificed themselves for each other….

All in all, the hints were there all along.

Now, the reason they had to confess it publicly was simple: they had seen as much and felt too much in that mission, and if they didn’t come clean about it, she would sleep until they found another solution, and he could end up brain-dead or killing himself.

She sighed again.

“How can we move on? How can we accept this can’t be?” She asked, tears welling up in her eyes. “When all I want, all I need, is this?”

“I don’t know, Sam, but we got to,” he said, trying to be strong.

“Do you think…” she started only to interrupt herself, shaking her head. She blushed and hid her face in his chest. Her hand was trailing patterns on his torso, and he had to take a deep breath to keep himself in control.

“What?” he whispered breathlessly. Sam noticed it was because of her actions. Her hand stilled over his rapidly beating heart, and she moved her head backward enough to see him.

“One night? And we put it back in the room?” she suggested, there was a glint of hope in her eyes that made him gulp.

“I don’t know, Sam,” he whispered, fighting the urge to lower his head and kiss her. “I don’t know if once we cross the line, we’d be able to go back to how it was before. Christ, I don’t even know if right now we can go back to how it was,” he confessed.

She nodded, smiling sadly. She understood, she also felt that way.

“But wouldn’t it be worth it? Knowing what it is like? Knowing if this isn’t just sexual tension built up from the years of interaction and not what we think it is?” She asked, her eyes betraying the fact that she knew it was what they thought.

“And, if it is what we think it is?” Jack asked nonetheless.

“Wouldn’t it give us a memory to move forward? Something to hold on to until we actually can?” Sam hoped, biting her lower lip.

“Shit, Sam… don’t play with me,” he whispered.

“I’m not playing, Jack… I could never play with you,” Sam stated, and he knew it was true. “Maybe I want to be selfish for once. Perhaps I can’t stand not knowing how we are together if,” she stopped and took a deep breath, “if I lose you.”

“Maybe I want to be selfish too, Sam,” he whispered, caressing her face softly. “Maybe I want that memory burned so bright in my soul that I can search for it to give me hope on the darkest nights.”

“Are we really doing this?” she asked cautiously.

“Before we do this, Samantha Carter,” he grinned. “I promise you I will love you my whole life. I won’t stop fighting until we get to the point when you can be mine for real and I, truly yours. Unless I must die for you, in which case, I promise you I will jump in front of anything that might come in your way. I promise you that whenever you feel lonely, I’ll be here to hold you tight. I will hold the hope of being one by your side until we can. I will always be here, even if you don’t want me, no matter what.”

“Jack,” was all she managed to say, her eyes saying much more than she could word.

“You matter to me that much, Sam,” he told her, caressing her cheek.

“I love you, Jack. I will love you my whole life. I will die for you if I have to,” she choked. He couldn’t hold it any longer and kissed her.

When the morning sun entered his room, he woke her up with a soft caress on her back and a kiss. She smiled lovingly at him, and his brown eyes reflected the same love.

“It’s time?” she asked him, and he nodded.

They dressed in silence, and soon, she walked away.

Two hours later, Sam was entering the isolation room. Her stomach burned with tension, and her heart was beating wildly. She knew she was about to break not only her heart but his.

Begrudgingly, Sam introduced the code, and the heavy door opened slowly. Jack was already waiting inside.

With a half-smile, he greeted her, and she nodded in acknowledgment. She inhaled deeply as her eyes filled with tears that wouldn’t be freed. He inhaled deeply at what was about to happen.

They had a lot of baggage, but what they had done that night was the one that probably would weigh the most. He couldn’t care at the moment, because now he knew what it was like to wake up with her in his arms, and how she looked not only with her hair tousled, but how she looked while he walked her over the edge. The truth was, he was glad he could have at least that memory for himself, for what it was about to happen… again.

“Colonel,” she managed to say.

“Carter,” he said in the same breathless manner.

She gasped for air, and he nodded encouragingly. He knew what was about to happen, unlike the first time she asked him that.

It was time.

They exchanged a heartfelt nod and a look that said all they couldn’t.

“Sir,” Sam started just like she had the previous day, “none of this has to leave this room,” she finished bravely, biting her lower lip.

“We are okay with that?” Jack asked, using the same line he had used the previous day.

“Yes, sir,” she added, firmly but with her eyes filled with tears.

“Okay. Then let’s go have our days off, whatcha think?” Jack attempted to be his usual self and knew he ultimately failed. But Sam smiled gratefully at him for trying.

They walked out of the isolation room; they both jumped a little and tried not to sigh when the door closed behind them.

And the room was sealed again.


	2. The third is a charm(?)

Today was a year since she stood in that isolation room and heard him say he cared for her more than he should.

A year happened since she had to sit on that stupid chair and confess how she cared for him more than she should.

And it was a year since, in a desperate move, she had asked him to keep it all in that room.

It was also a year since, in a combination of heartbreak, pain, love, confusion, and utter remorse, she had walked into his home and found herself in his arms. And later, in his bed.

One year since he promised her he wouldn’t leave her, and true to his word, he didn’t. Nothing had changed between them, except that now hope had a background, and she could come to that memory to feel what it was like to feel surrounded by a loving Jack.

But since that morning, when she asked him to leave it in the room, again, 364 days and 16 hours ago, there wasn’t a day in which her mind didn’t drift back to the hypothetical room where her memories were stored, and she had to fight with herself to stop them at the door.

The hypothetical one wasn’t as bad as the real one.

There were days when she passed in front of the isolation room, and she had to struggle with herself to not go inside, call him in, and ask him to let it all out. She never dared.

She couldn’t put his career at risk, she couldn’t put the world at risk, and she was sure as hell. A third attempt wouldn’t be the charmed one.

But then, there were also other days, those weird calm days when she didn’t have to keep an eye on her experiments as they ran. The gate was working correctly, and SG-1 was in the base but not scheduled out. In those days, when she would come and sit inside for a couple of minutes (or hours, she wasn’t sure); she allowed herself to open the hypothetical door and let it all play freely in her mind.

The truth was that it didn’t matter if the door was there or not. Every day that passed she cared more for him than she should, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Today, not only was precisely a year, but it was one of those weird days.

Sam looked at the heavy door which separated her from the inside of the room, and her heart constricted, her stomach burned, and she knew she wanted it out.

She introduced the code, and the doors slid slowly open, and she took a deep breath and immersed herself in her thoughts.

She walked to the inside panel and closed the door, and then, as she felt a tear escaping her eyes, she turned around to look to the heaviest of the burdens she had given to herself. That stupid, stupid room.

What she didn’t know was that he was in the same situation.

As the door slid open and then closed, Jack prepared himself to blurt any dumb excuse and leave unscathed. But he saw her, and the lone trail of the tear that had abandoned her eye. Something gleamed in his eyes as something shone in his hands; the latter one caught her attention.

“Colonel?” Sam choked out. “I didn’t know you were here. I should go,” she quickly added, as she tried to bring her walls up to keep herself together, or at least, to keep herself from crumbling in front of him.

“Carter, I,” Jack started.

She turned to leave, but he was faster. In two big strides, he was right in front of her, rendering her unable to move just by his sheer presence. By his proximity to her.

“Don’t go,” he whispered, it sounded almost like a plea, “you asked me to leave it in this room. Right?”

She swallowed. Unable to do nothing more. Her brain stopped functioning correctly, she nodded. Embarrassed, Jack lowered his head, and she frowned.

‘I was the one who asked it, why would he feel embarrassed?’ she wondered, but she couldn’t voice her thoughts.

“I come here,” he waved towards the room, “whenever I feel I can’t hold it in any longer,” he confessed.

“You do?”

“Yes,” Jack stated with a shrug. He saw the confusion in her eyes.

“I thought you moved on,” Sam confessed and blushed.

“From you?” He snorted. “I can’t.”

“Have you tried?” she asked worriedly.

“I won’t unless you ask me too,” he grimaced. “What are you doing here?”

“I,” she gulped. She considered lying, but he knew her too well. Sam also knew, if she did, he wouldn’t prod. It was the look in his eyes that made her confess the truth. “Same thing as you…”

“Sam,” he whispered.

“Jack,” she warned.

“Marry me?” Jack asked, and Sam gasped for air as a second tear rolled down her cheek. He stopped it with the pad of his thumb and searching her eyes, he smiled. “I don’t know how, or when, or if we will be able to do it, but I can’t keep this in the room any longer. I know that if you say yes, we will find a way someday.”

“And they think I’m the romantic one,” Sam chuckled.

“That’s not an answer,” Jack pointed out.

“Yes!” Sam replied with a beautiful smile. “I can’t keep it in the room for much longer either, Jack,” she whispered as her hand reached his face and stopped just inches from touching him.

He wanted to kiss her, to embrace her, and she wanted the same. But they still were in the room, and anyone could come inside. So they settled.

Jack took her hand and slid a ring on her finger. It was a perfect size. She frowned in confusion, and he shrugged.

“It’s been with me for a while,” he confessed, tapping her finger.

She looked at it. It didn’t quite look like one would expect from an engagement ring. It wasn’t a big uncomfortable diamond, but nine small ones. One she could easily use day in and day out. One which wouldn’t raise too many questions.

“It’s beautiful,” Sam whispered in awe.

“I thought you might like it when I got it done,” Jack grinned, and she thought she saw a faint blush on his cheeks.

She smiled back, looking at the ring enamored. It wasn’t only a sign of their commitment, but proof that the man in front of her knew her better than anyone.

“I promise, Sam. Everything I promised you a year ago, still stands,” he said as he locked gazes with her.

“I know,” she answered, searching his eyes.

“Good. So, are you ready to take it out of the room?” Jack questioned softly.

“Yes, someday,” Sam grinned.

“Awesome!” Jack answered, then he grabbed her hand and tapped her finger. “Sadly, until then, this still has to go.”

She smiled, and took it off, grabbed his hand, and placed it in the middle of his palm, closing his hand with hers.

“Someday,” she stated. “Until then, keep it safe?” she asked hopefully. Jack knew Sam meant so much more than just the ring.

“Always,” he stated.

Then he walked to open the door.

“Carter,” Jack said, giving her room to get out of the room, “take your leave this time, will you?” he asked as they walked to the elevator.

“Have fun in Minnesota, sir,” she added with a grin.

They entered the cart; she pressed her lab floor, and he pressed the exchange floor. Then, barely two levels up, the elevator doors opened, and Daniel frowned at them.

“Weren’t you supposedly on leave?” Daniel asked.

“I just came to check something I forgot yesterday at the ISO room, you know, with all the rush,” Sam explained quickly. Daniel frowned, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I came to kick you both out of your labs before going to the cabin,” Jack said, clapping his hands. “Hey, wanna come?” he offered to both.

His nerds mumbled a few excuses not to join him, and he laughed at them. Jack watched them exchanging information way above his head. Thankfully another floor up, the doors opened once more. The three of them gave a step back to allow Teal’c to join them.

“Cake, anyone?” Jack asked happily, and they all nodded. Teal’c noticed something was different but kept it to himself.

“It’s something the matter, O’Neill,” Teal’c asked when they were reaching their table after piling up some food on their trays.

The Colonel sat. Feeling Teal’c’s eyes on him, Jack looked around. Sam smiled at him from the dessert area while grabbing some blue jello. Daniel was filling his and Sam’s coffee mugs, and then his eyes fell over Teal’c, who was observing him carefully before his eyes wandered again. With a slight tilt of his head, the alien followed Jack’s gaze with a glint of happiness in his own eyes.

“Nope, everything is good in the world today,” Jack grinned.

“Indeed.”


	3. The hermetic room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to that part in which we all somewhat hated Sam (or at least the writers who added Pete)

Jack O’Neill always knew she was better than him in several ways; Samantha Carter was, after all, smarter, fitter, younger, and more capable than him in more ways than he cared to specify. But the one thing he never thought she would be better than him was compartmentalizing her feelings. It shouldn’t surprise him. He had seen her keep a hold of her sentiments with a facade that never wavered.

Why he never thought she would be capable of closing the room doors so tight after all they had been through was the real question behind his musings. But here he was, trying not to look like an arse while talking with her fiancé.

Oh yes, Jack promised her he would always be there for her, that he would die for her, and he intended to keep his promise. He never considered that dying for her would mean watching her playing house with someone else, not after the last time they found each other in that room, the now hermetically closed room.

He wasn’t sure if he was more pissed at her for closing it for good, or with himself, for hanging on to the hope that they could make it, after all. Or with the day when he first agreed to keep it in there.

Somehow, he always came to that. He shouldn’t have accepted it in the first place, not the first time, not the second time, and most definitively, not the third time.

Jack nodded at whatever the chatterbox that was her fiancé had told him as if he was paying attention. He wasn’t. He nodded because sighing would catch too much attention; it would be too impolite.

Sam looked at him, talking with Pete, and her heart broke. She noticed how Jack inhaled in the typical way that pointed to her he wanted to let a heavy sigh out, but he couldn’t do it. Jack nodded politely to Pete, as her fiancé continued talking, oblivious to the way Jack wasn’t listening to him.

Jack…

Sam shook her head at how Jack’s name caused all sorts of things in her body. And yet, she had accepted to date Pete, to stop hearing her brother telling her she needed a life.

Pete was a dork, and he cared for her, and she felt she was settling. Not the right kind of settling either. But then, she saw Jack flirting with Kerry like he used to flirt with her before the room.

Sam sighed.

They had stopped flirting because it wasn’t well seen. They already had admitted caring for each other more than supposed, and in front of strangers, nonetheless. Flirting their way around did nothing to quench the rumor mill that had existed since day one. And somewhere along then, they had stopped talking at all.

They also had admitted loving each other during the one night experience Sam revisited every time she felt could give up. And every time she fell into bed with Pete, she gulped as she noticed that for the first time. She had already accepted the man’s proposal, even if she still hadn’t figured out why.

“What the hell am I doing?” she mumbled to herself, apparently loud enough to catch Daniel’s attention.

“Sincerely, Sam?” He asked, and she turned to look at him.

Daniel’s eyes talked about the years of friendship they had. The nonjudgmental way he said it made her nod, “we have absolutely no idea.”

“What? We?” she inquired with her eyebrow raised. The pissed off tone of her voice made him raise his hands to point to her she should calm down.

“Yes, Teal’c and I. WE didn’t dare to talk about you with Jack. We can see how painful it is for him, and we know how you are like an automat with Pete. We agreed that your behavior is exactly what is killing him,” Daniel said, and then he pinched the bridge of his nose. “To be entirely honest with you, your behavior is killing us all…”

“Whatever you mean?”

“You are not happy. You are merely content. Even your dad noticed it in one simple look. The only one who believes you are happy with the situation, and utterly in love, is Pete. But the man isn’t that bright either,” Daniel pointed out.

She sighed, passing her hand through her hair. Her ring got stuck in her hair, and surprising Daniel, she swore as she pulled it out from her hair.

Her eyes filled with tears when she remembered the ring Jack presented her. Nothing like this one, no big rock that got stuck everywhere. Perfect size that didn’t need to get fixed after sitting on her finger for the first time. And then, redone after Pete presented her the ring for the second time and still wasn’t a perfect fit.

“What did I do?” she whimpered. “How can I fix this?”

“I,” Daniel sighed. “That’s the answer you have to find for yourself,” it was then when Kerry joined the group. The redhead sat quietly beside Jack and gave him a smile that made Sam frown. Kerry placed a brief kiss on Jack’s cheek and gave a light squeeze to his upper arm. And Sam swallowed hard, jealousy burning her inside. “But, he’s with her…”

“Jesus, Sam! Are you really that blind?” Daniel asked in surprise. “Jack’s not with her. He needed a friend and didn’t want to come to us because he felt he would damage your image in front of us. Yes, Kerry made a move on him, and he told him something about a promise he didn’t specify,” Daniel shrugged.

Sam swore. Daniel’s eyes widened, and he blushed. In all the years he had known her, he never figured she knew that many swear words, and he witnessed her being severely tortured several times.

Nothing seemed to have changed that day, but Jack noticed something did. It wasn’t the way she ignored Pete, as she always did. They all had noticed that whenever she had a chance, Sam would push the guy to talk to anyone while she would run to the other side of wherever they were.

Just like now, it was always Pete, the one with the hands all over the place, dragging her closer, intruding on her personal space. And yes, Jack knew she was uncomfortable, but she wasn’t complaining about Pete’s ways. There was not a blunt sign of abuse or violence towards her. It was merely Pete’s way to show them all how Sam was his now, and how he cared about her. So promise or not, Jack couldn’t intervene in the relationship she had created for herself. Could he?

“Where are you, Jack?” Kerry asked with a small smile and followed his line of sight. “Ah, have you talked about that with her?”

“And say what? Carter, you shouldn’t allow your fiancé to touch you?” he asked bitterly. “I can’t, Kerry, and you know it,” this time the sigh came out.

“I’m so sorry, Jack. You truly are a good man, and you deserve her,” Kerry said and then scrunched up her nose. “Well, not this version of her that’s hurting you. You deserve the one that makes you happy. I saw that man. The side of you only she manages brings out.”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Oh, please! I’ve heard you ramble about her,” Kerry said, rolling her eyes. “Trust me, she does. I hope she notices it before she screws her life for good with that dork and yours along with it,” she added. She knew he had ignored her last words.

“Are you leaving?” Jack asked, changing subjects. Somehow, her words sounded like a farewell to his ears.

“Yeah… in two weeks.”

Jack nodded. If only because there were no words he could add.

Kerry had offered him what Pete offered Sam, and Jack had rejected it. And, in two weeks, year three would hit the mark, and everything pointed to him that the door was hermetically closed for good.


	4. The Broken Seal

‘... _Even the most hermetic environment can be opened_...’ He had read that somewhere along with the many, many eclectic readings he did.

He might not be Samantha Carter smart, but he reads. An awful lot, too.

Jack had read that phrase somewhere; it said something about it needing to be broken from the inside, and he didn’t think he would be strong enough to do it.

Yes, that’s what his mind provides him today as he slowly punches in the code that will allow him to go in.

Year three of keeping it in the room. And here he is, again. His mind provides, and he tries not to snort at his dumbness.

Jack walks in with his head low, wondering if he will continue to do this until the day he dies. He wonders if he would find an excuse next year to fly from DC to Colorado, just because it’s year four and he can let her go completely out.

And that’s when he feels it.

Jack feels eyes on him, and his eyes widen as his brains paint the possibilities of what’s happening. He was pretty sure nothing was going on in there today. He had checked, but it is the SGC, and one can never be so sure… He raised his face quickly and surveyed the room.

He was right… It was empty.

Almost.

Sam had been coming here since that day two weeks ago, when she realized how screwed up she was. She broke up with Pete that same night when he got her home. Pete had lowered his head, stretched his hand, and took the ring she was offering back. He didn’t say a word until she asked if he wouldn’t be saying something about it, and he did.

“I knew this would happen. I saw it, Sam. I saw you both. I was trying to make myself believe we would make it,” he said with a self-deprecative smile. “But I knew, you know? Deep down, I knew I could never be with him, but thanks for trying.”

She couldn’t decide if it was more like a cold-water splash over her or a hard punch to her gut. Because he was a good guy, and she used him poorly.

Truth to be told, she had figured little until that day, and she felt the guilt, the remorse, and all the bad things one gets to feel when you play with someone good to the point of being able to break them weighing heavily on her shoulders.

That night, Pete had closed the door softly behind him. He didn’t scream at her; he said nothing that would help her feel better with herself. She deserved it, though. She waited until his car disappeared from her street and then; she grabbed her own keys, purse, and walked out to her car. She drove to the mountain, and went straight to the room, and cried her heart out.

She didn’t do it every single day for the past two weeks if only because they weren’t there most of the time. They were busy saving the universe from her replicator-self and all that implied.

But by the time when they returned, every time someone asked her something too personal, too close to home, she only smiled and run down (or up) and hide in here.

As things were, there were enough events around the SGC to add to how poorly she was thinking of herself. Her father was dying in a room in the infirmary. Daniel was gone again, Teal’c stood behind with the Jaffa’s, and Jack… she felt the urge to get herself down to the ISO room.

And then she saw the date; she couldn’t even get to her lab without detouring there first, needing to release the tears that threatened to drown her.

She didn’t even know how long it was since she entered it, but she knew her eyes were swollen, her nose red, and her hair a mess. She was hiding in the darkest corner of the room, the one that allowed her not to be seen from the security glass up top.

She curled up as tightly as her height allowed her to. After a moment, she heard the door mechanisms starting, and she saw it sliding softly, and tried to clean herself somewhat while trying to come up with some excuse to justify not only her presence but her disheveled status.

Until she saw him, and their eyes locked.

Hope blossomed in his chest, and Jack didn’t even know why. Sam stood up on shaky legs, and he saw the plea before she could put it out there.

He nodded imperceptibly, opening his arms for her. If she weren’t just six steps apart, she would have run. She probably did, but couldn’t care less.

“I’m sorry,” she said repeatedly until her throat wouldn’t cooperate anymore. Her weight collapsed on his arms, and her tears soaked his shirt.

Jack dragged her to the corner where she was sitting before; he was very well acquainted with the same spot. His feelings were paradoxical: He wanted to bolt and never leave; he wanted to bring her a glass of water to show her he cared and push her as far away as he could.

But he had promised her he would be there no matter what, and he intended to keep it. Not because he was a man of his word, but because he was a man in love.

“You are still here,” Sam mumbled, marveled with that truth.

Her head had found a safe place against his chest where she could hear the beating of his heart. When he said nothing to her comment, she moved her head back a little, only enough to watch him. Feeling observed, Jack lowered his head a little, enough to make eye contact.

“Always,” Jack smiled self-deprecatingly because he felt like an idiot.

In weeks, Samantha Carter would marry another guy. Yet, here she was crying in his arms, holding onto him as if there was no tomorrow. ‘Maybe there wasn’t,’ he thought, ‘even if Goa’ulds and Replicators weren’t gone.’ For him, he knew there was no tomorrow, she would be out of his reach forever, and that was worse than losing the war they had fought.

“I,” she gulped under the defeat she saw in his eyes. “Why are you here?” she asked, hopefully. Cowardly.

She bit her lower lip, realizing that if anyone should do some explaining, it should be her, not him.

“Year three,” he huffed. “Where else should I be?” She whimpered, looking at him in awe. He frowned self-consciously. “I don’t know if next year I will manage, though, being in DC and all,” he waved dismissively.

“You are leaving?” a fresh set of tears welled in her eyes. A few of the most stubborn ran freely down her cheek and fell slowly on his shirt. He felt those wet his chest, and, with a gulp, he nodded yes.

“There’s not much left here for me,” he explained, a sad expression on his face. “Daniel’s gone, Teal’c is gone...”

“I am here,” she said in a whisper.

“You haven’t been here in a long while, Sam,” he added with a sad smile. Unable to keep looking at her, he cradled her back into his chest. Sam sighed, and he took a deep breath.

“Truth is, it took you only six months to start piling rocks outside the door: nine months, three weeks, and four days to finish covering it. Then, you accepted that you were ready to close this room for good with no consideration of my feelings. And now, my feelings don’t matter anymore. You’ll close this forever in a few more weeks,” he whispered against her hair, and she could feel the pain in every one of his words.

“I’m not ready to close this room, Jack,” she whispered.

“You can’t have it both ways, Sam,” he warned, holding her close, getting himself ready to the blow she was about to deliver.

“I don’t want it both ways,” she said, surprising him.

She pushed herself forcefully out of his embrace, sat straight, and far away enough that he couldn’t push her back to his chest to avoid eye contact as she knew he was doing before.

“I want you… I only want you…” Sam huffed, fighting the tears in her eyes. “I need you…. I love you… I was in love you with, even if I was fool enough to try to pretend I could get ‘us,’ this thing we have, with someone else,” she took a deep watery breath.

“Sam,” he started.

“No!” she said before she lost her strength. “Listen to me, Jack, you’ve been doing all the sweet talk before, and you were the one pouring out love words. Yes, we both know I suck at them, and you don’t,” she smiled sadly. “While you were pouring your heart out, I was the one who asked to keep it inside. Don’t you see it? I’m the one who caused all this mess... And I’ve been wrong all this time. I was the wrong one from day one, and I was wrong until year three,” she stated and searched his eyes.

“I don’t like to be wrong,” she huffed.

“So, what? You want to be right?” he snorted, angriness and frustration taking over him. “Is this what this is for you? Some joke where you prove yourself as the best of us?”

“No!” Horror covered her face. Yes, she was an idiot and hurt him, but she never thought, never considered how her actions were affecting him. She was so stupidly blind while she tried to lick her own wounds, forgetting all about the man she loved.

“Then explain!” he shouted.

“I’m trying!” she yelled back.

“Try harder,” he barked.

“Jack,” Sam said pleadingly, her eyes trying to convey what she couldn’t put in words.

“Sam,” he warned again.

“I don’t like who I became,” she confessed in a whisper, not daring to look at him. “I don’t like who I became without you,” she added, risking a glance at him.

“I also don’t like who we became,” Sam said, taking a deep breath. “I loved you; you loved me…. you proposed, and I said yes. And then, it was like we didn’t know each other anymore! Everything went wrong weeks after that. Since then, it seemed we never happened, like we never existed, like we never loved each other, like we never were even friends. You stopped talking to me like we used to,” he flinched. “I didn’t know how to ask for it,” it was her turn to smile self-deprecatingly. “Then, I saw you with Kerry.”

“She’s only a friend!” he huffed.

“I know that now, Daniel explained that to me. But back then, right when she was sent to the SGC, you flirted with her, and it was exactly what we weren’t doing anymore and I felt you moved on. Then, my brother, my stupid brother, pushed Pete into my lap,” she grimaced.

“And you accepted,” he pointed out.

“I did. I won’t deny my mistakes, Jack,” she sighed. “I can’t help that I’ve made them.”

He nodded but said nothing. She waited for a bit, hoping he would say anything, then she shook her head.

“You know, two weeks ago, when we had that barbecue when everything was wrong in the Universe, and things were somewhat right around here,” she started with dreamy eyes.

“Things were right?” he snorted. “I had to watch you with Pete, Sam! I had to sit with the guy and be happy for him! I had to pretend I didn’t want to twist his fat neck and kill him on the spot. I had to restrain myself from going to where you two were standing and not kick the guy because he made you flinch when he invaded your personal space, and you are saying it was right?”

“No! I mean… “

“What?!”

“Daniel was here, Teal’c was here…” she looked at him. “You were there, and I was there. It was pretty much forever, since the last time the four of us were outside together.”

“Pete was there, and Kerry was there… and heck! Half of the people close to Hammond were there. Your point being?”

“Until that day, I didn’t realize that I was cheating myself with Pete. I… I didn’t know I was deceiving me. You’ll see. For me, it was always you, Jack. You were always in my mind, even if he wasn’t you.”

“And yet, you are marrying him,” he pointed out.

“No. I’m not, I finished it all that day. I couldn’t wait to get home to make things right, or at least, better,” she whispered. “How could I marry someone else, when I’ve been in love with you from forever now?”

“Sam…” Jack breathed. “I loved you, and I still love you. But you hurt me, bad. This,” he said, waving around the space between them. “it won’t be that easy.”

“But we can try?” she asked, hopefully biting her lower lip.

“No inside this room,” he shook his head no.

“And if we take it out?” Sam hoped.

Jack looked at her while he considered her answer. He savored her answer, but he didn’t let it show.

“Yes,” he whispered after a while. On an impulse, Sam moved forward and kissed his cheek.

“Good, then everything is all right with the world again,” she told him, and he couldn’t help but raise his hand to the place where her lips had touched his skin.

Her smile, the one reserved for him, blossomed on her face with a brightness he hadn’t seen since that night when they took it out of the room the first time. At that same moment, the base alarms went crazy, and they were jumping out.

He stopped by the threshold.

“Are we ready?” he asked, and she nodded, “are you sure?”

“Yes, General.” Sam grinned, stepping outside and turning to him. Jack was still inside the room as she locked gazes with him. “Jack, I love you, but if we don’t move, we might not have a chance to save the world.”

“Right!” he walked out of the room, and as he pressed the keys to close it, she grasped his hand and gave it a slight squeeze, which he returned without a shade of a doubt.

The room was closed, and she was still with him on the outer side. He grinned, she grinned, and they let go.

They broke the seal from the inside out.

The world needed them, and now they had each other again, so they knew everything would be okay.


	5. Traditions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason this is written on Jack's POV.  
> I tried to change it to the same format as the others, but it lost all sense. So, Jack POV's it is.

Each culture has its traditions and sayings surrounding the wedding day.

I should know, Daniel has kindly presented to me an extensive report containing at least a hundred of them. Sure, that wasn’t on my weird list of things I wanted to read, nor was it part of Sam’s. But we both went through it and compared notes. No, it’s not sadomasochism, it’s just a reflection of who we are, as people and as friends.

We split the document into two halves, tossed a coin, and she read the last half while I read the first half. We exchanged information, and we made Daniel happy.

That’s why between us, we are completing a bunch of them.

I buried in my backyard (aka the venue) the best bottle of Bourbon I found, exactly one month ago, to prevent rain today. And gave her a serenade a day before last night, it was supposed to happen last night, however, if I did it then, I would see the bride, and that clashed with the tradition that dictated that I’m not supposed to see her until today.

She’s wearing a sugar cube in her glove, to sweeten our union - not that it isn’t sweet as it is.

At the end of the night, I will carry her inside our home to protect her from evil spirits. I didn’t need to know that tradition. I was going to do it, anyway.

For good luck, Vala will pinch Sam. While Cam will throw peas at us. Teal’c was asked to do the same with rice, and Cassie will be responsible for the candy confetti. (Sam and I figured different cultures share a knack for throwing food at you). Daniel, thank goodness, is only throwing rose petals.

As I watch her walk down the short aisle, I can see her dress is white, and she has a veil (to hid her away from evil spirits who might want to thwart her happiness). And there’s also a red and yellow thing close by that she will wear while we exchange our vows (supposedly for prosperity and happiness).

I’m the something old, so we got that one covered. General Hammond’s wife sent Sam a couple of earrings to complete the something borrowed, and a birdie told her garter is blue, (yup, a birdie called Vala Mal-Doran)

We are also getting tied together to show our commitment to one another as if it was a necessity. And did I mention, we didn’t see each other since yesterday?

And now, as I stand here, not only with some flowery thing tying us together but with my hand linked with her as a white rope ties them together too, I can’t help but feel the words I’ve told her ages ago as they come out of my chest when they ask for our vows.

“Before we do this, Samantha Carter,” I say in a whisper and her smile blossoms. “I promise you. I will love you my whole life. I won’t stop fighting until we get to the point when you can be mine for real and I, truly yours. Unless I must die for you, in which case, I promise you I will jump in front of anything that might come in your way. I promise you that whenever you feel lonely, I’ll be here to hold you tight. I will hold the hope of being one by your side until we can. I will always be here, even if you don’t want me, no matter what.”

I can see the tears in her eyes, and I can’t feel them burning in mine. Her watery gaze holds mine, and in there, there’s only love and not even a shade of doubt. I chuckle,

“Huh, you are mine for real now,” I wink at her, and she nods eagerly. “Samantha Carter, I care for you more than I’m supposed to,” I add then, her happy tears fall, and we both hear the oh’s and aww’s coming from our closest friends, our family.

“Jack…” she whispers, her voice trembled a little, and I’m hooked. “You know I’m the worse of us at the love words, but you also know, I care for you more than I’m supposed to, and I promise you I’ll stand by your side, no matter what comes in the way. I promise you I’m here… to stay. We are out of that room forever.”

I admit it; they probably weren’t the most romantic words to be said, not hers or mine, but they are a symbol of who we are. They are simple but weigh heavily in our souls because they are nothing but the purest true.

Soon we are dancing together, sharing our meal with our friends at a small party that everybody wanted to be at, and turned out to be not so little.

And yes, it was an arduous journey.

We know this isn’t by far a happily ever after. We know our journey will still be complicated. After our honeymoon, Sam will return to Nevada, where she is stationed now, and I will fly back to DC, and no marriage should be that far apart. But those are the cards we have, and those are the cards we play with.

Someone decides that it is only fair to know who the winner of that poll about us is, and we all smile bittersweetly when Janet’s name is called, and it’s a bright-eyed Cassie, the one who steps up to collect it. Sam and I exchanged a look. We always knew the Doc had our backs, even when she wasn’t with us anymore.

It doesn’t take much longer after that before the party dwindles. As we say the last goodbyes, we smile at each other knowingly.

“I’ll get the keys,” I say, and she smiles brightly at me. You know, that one smile that she reserves for me only and she has been giving me since we took it out of the room a year ago.

After a quick drive, we walk inside the mountain, and the guards at the several security checkpoints, eye us with a confused frown, (because of our attire most likely.)

Still, they let us in. Wedding gowns aside, there’s nothing that says they shouldn’t.

We laugh all the way down as we try to sneak in, but only manage to find more people, and they look at us with a bright smile and confusion in their eyes. They are all happy for us, and not entirely understanding why the hell we are here.

Hand in hand, we get down to the ISO room, with smiles on our faces. Come to think about it; maybe my smile is the thing that’s freaking out everyone. I can’t help it! I’m Mr. Samantha Carter now.

I know. I’m thoroughly whipped.

What can I say? There are plenty of things that could be worse than becoming the whipped General I have become in a year.

We smile brighter as we walk the last meters away from our destination, and yes, we know there are thousands of traditions out there. Still, we had to keep one of our own, the one that started four years ago, with a confession forced out of us: we make our trip to the one place that had kick-started a lot of things which got us here today.

With her free hand, she pushes the code with sure fingers. As the door slides with a humming noise, we know by heart. Sam turns around and smiles at me, and I feel my heart beat faster. And yes, I’m married to her now.

It’s just that I can’t believe it finally happened.

It’s not that it doesn’t feel real (because it is), or because I doubt our future, or of our relationship (because I don’t.)

It’s because it’s been a little over eight years since the first time I’ve set my eyes on her, and she started challenging me, changing me. It’s been already four years since I had to say out loud that I cared for her, or risk to be brain picked.

And it’s been two since she introduced me to her boyfriend and now ex-fiancé, and I thought I had lost her for good.

And finally, a year ago, we started a helluva year, with plenty of recon missions between Nevada and DC, which had fortified the thing we got and screwed it up sometimes too.

Yet, even with the minor fights, we had thousands of stolen moments. Somehow, now as the door stopped sliding open, she is standing here with me as my wife.

She tugs my hand and brings me back to the here and now, and I smile at her. You know? The one smile that I’ve always reserved just for her, and I see how it warms her heart, after all this time she still wears it on her sleeve. All the things she feels are still showing in her eyes for all those who dare to read it. Or maybe her feelings are clear just for me. I don’t care, as long as she keeps looking at me in that way.

“Jack,” she whispers, and I realize I’ve remained frozen in my spot.

I smile at her. Her eyes widen because she reads in mine what I’m about to do. So, I do it. I throw her over my shoulders, and she laughs happily as I pat her bum that’s right at eye level now. “You are incorrigible, Jack!” she chuckles.

“There… You’re all safe from evil spirits now,” I say as I safely place her down again.

“I don’t think that’s the way they did it,” she grins.

“It might not be,” I shrug. “But I’m reserving the other way for when we get home.”

“Home,” she whispers in awe and links our hands. She pulls me towards her, and we embrace tightly. To make even more a fool of myself (yes, that is possible), I sway us slowly, in the empty silence of the ISO room, and without fighting it, she follows my lead.

“Jack?” she whispers in my ear, as her nails caress my neck.

“Yeah?”

“I think it is time…” she trails.

I frown, moving a little apart from her to search her eyes. Her smile blinds me, and I know I’ll do everything in my power to keep it up there, lighting my days and her eyes for as long as I can.

“Whatcha think?” she asks. I don’t know what I agree to, but I nod. And she smiles.

“You have no idea, right?” She giggles, and I shook my head no. “It’s time to get it out of this room... for good”

I look at her, and we both look around, it’s empty. The contents of that day four years ago, long gone. There are no beds or any kind of doohickey lying around. It has been vacated for years now, the only ones who had some sort of bond with it are we. I smile and sigh.

“Are we okay with it?” I ask, remembering that first year, and she smiles.

“Always…” she says, and she tugs my hand, and we walk out.

This time, we leave the door open.


	6. The Museum Day

Jack chuckled as he pointed her to a picture of them, way back when they were Colonel and Captain that hung from one wall.

Now, the former General of the Air Force O’Neill and current General of the Air Force Carter, were both in their civvies walking around the base that saw them meet and fall in love and save millions of innocent lives in between.

He embraced her as they entered the embarkation room that now only held a dull copy of the Stargate, including all sorts of gizmos that back in the day were top-tech and now were nothing old-tech with blinking lights.

He looked over his shoulder and chuckled again. Sam turned around when she heard him chuckle again, her eyebrow raised.

“Nothing,” he mumbled as if the eyebrow alone chastised him. The second eyebrow rose and met her hairline, and he sighed, “I was just thinking,” he mumbled, pulling her closer, “that’s funny how we always end up in here, no matter what.”

“The kids wanted to come,” she shrugged.

“Yeah, and today was the perfect day to come, out of the fifteen days they chose to be here…” He smiled knowingly and pointed to the bright screen that showed the date, time, and weather forecast.

“Oh, hush,” she blushed.

Yes, Sam still blushed under his touch, and Jack still touched her if only to get that reaction, because getting there cost them too much and took too long.

“They won’t get lost if we go down,” he trailed, and he saw the twinkle in her eyes before she moved to the less known area of the SGC Museum.

The elevators were blocked now, and you could only go to particular floors and certain unrestricted areas. But they both knew the base by heart, and with that knowledge also came knowing all the escape routes.

They walked down the corridor and looked behind their backs before crossing the limits of the Museum. Then they turned to the second hallway and opened the escape gate. Sam giggled.

“Don’t giggle, Sam!” he whispered. She nodded, trying to keep herself quiet. Then she looked at him.

“Are you sure?” She asked, looking at his knees, then at his eyes.

“Good as new,” he said, tapping his knees. Both had replaced years ago. “Yours are the ones that aren’t new,” he winked, and she giggled again. But when she moved, he followed, closing the door behind them.

Nothing but silence and a light panting followed them because no matter how fit they both still were, they weren’t kids any longer.

“This is our floor,” Sam gasped as she stopped and opened the gate. With a practiced movement, she walked out of the hiding place and into the darkened corridor that led to, what once was, the ISO rooms.

“Good thing they never figured how to turn down these,” Jack whispered in her ear, making her shudder.

“These are geothermal powered, Jack, they don’t need to power them down, they don’t add to the maintenance bill,” she confessed.

“What?”

“Yup, it was very well thought. Remember, the mountain was supposed to be a refuge from nuclear warfare way back when. Before, it was used for interstellar travel and became one of the most dangerous places to work,” she winked.

“And supposedly I’m the one who knows all those weird historical facts,” he rolled his eyes.

She stopped, and he bumped against her, grabbing her tightly to avoid falling. Or that’s what his mind provided if he needed an excuse.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked. Jack nodded. She walked to the door’s panel and doubted, biting her lower lip.

“You think?” she asked, and he shrugged.

“They never changed it before,” he commented, and she smiled.

She pressed the numbers surely, and the door slid open. Jack joined her beside the panel and kissed her, and she followed his lead. Sam knew she would never falter whenever he was in the picture.

“I guess they’ve never figured we came down here,” he mumbled against her ear, as they patiently waited for the door to stop.

“We all did…” Daniel’s voice joined them.

“Is that?” Sam asked in disbelief.

“Space Monkey,” Jack growled, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t be so happy to see us, Jack,” Daniel greeted from the inside. And as they moved into the once dreaded room, they found themselves surrounded by their friends. Teal’c, Ish’ta, Daniel, Vala, Cam, Cassie, and their two kids, that supposedly were up there are at the museum level. They squinted at them.

“How?” Jack asked. Sam embraced every one of them, happy to have them all there.

“Do you think your yearly escapades to this place were unnoticed?” Vala asked, her deep voice booming inside the empty room.

“Uh, yeah?” Jack answered.

“Please, you were as subtle as Daniel and Vala, with their nighttime escapades,” Cam commented, rolling his eyes.

“What?” Jack asked, intrigued.

“Cam! He didn’t know about them,” Sam sighed, shaking her head.

“You knew?” Jack asked, watching her in surprise.

“I knew it!” Sam exclaimed, raising her hands, and then she pointed a finger to Vala. “She told me! Everything! Even those details I didn’t want to know,” Sam blushed, remembering some of those. Vala’s smirk did nothing to hide precisely what kind of details those were.

“Thanks for not telling,” Jack added gratefully when he caught Vala’s face and Daniel’s blush.

As Jack greeted their friends, Sam looked around. There was food and drinks and a lovely table set in there.

“But how? Why?” she frowned.

“It’s your 25th anniversary, where else should we be?” Daniel smiled knowingly.

“How did you all get here?” Jack wondered, already munching something he found at the table.

“We asked,” Mitchell said.

“You know, the little fact that we all worked here at some point and that our pictures are hanging around, does help...” Daniel shrugged.

“You asked?” Jack questioned in awe.

“Yup, why?” Daniel asked, looking from Jack to Sam and their blushing faces. “You guys, how did you two get here?”

“The how doesn’t matter,” Sam trailed off. The blush on her face betrayed her nonchalance.

“Holy Hannah! You came through the escape route?” Cam asked, bewildered. “Jack, you are almost eighty! What would’ve happened if you lost your foot and I don’t know, got stuck in there!”

“Are you calling me old?” Jack squinted at Cam, “you know, there was a time in which people respected me,” he sighed theatrically.

“The important thing is that we came, isn’t it?” Sam intervened.

“Good thing we asked. I don’t think the champagne would have survived the escape route,” Jake O’Neill muttered, gaining a glare from his parents.

“Indeed”

“So, how does it feel? To be here after all this time?” Daniel asked, “to see the place that had forced you to confess your feelings?”

“There are plenty of things I can say, but you know me, I’m a man of few words and to tell you the truth,” Jack started. They hung on to every word, “we come every year… its tradition,” he shrugged.

“That’s it? That’s all you are going to say?” Vala deadpanned.

“Whatcha think I should say?” Jack asked.

“The hell I know!” Vala answered. “Daniel?”

“I don’t know what about some fancy words of love and devotion, perhaps? Of how Sam’s the most important thing in your life and you couldn’t live without her,” Daniel said.

“That she’s the air you breathe and the one who makes you whole,” Vala added with dreamy eyes. Then she cleared her throat, “I read that, ahem, somewhere…”

“Sam? You know all that, right?” Jack asked, turning to watch at his wife.

“Yup,” she nodded, embracing him lovingly.

“Then I don’t need the words,” Jack shrugged.

“The only thing I need from him is that he keeps the promise he made twenty-nine years ago, the day this room changed everything,” Sam smiled.

“What’s that?” Grace O’Neill asked with bright eyes.

“He promised me,” Sam smiled, “we would be by my side, no matter what, always.”

“Always,” he confirmed, giving her a quick kiss in her hair.

“See. I don’t need any more words. That one is enough,” Sam smiled brightly.

“Then, we should raise our glasses, and honor such promise,” Teal’c added solemnly.

“For another 25 years of a loving marriage…” Daniel said, raising his glass.

“For love…” Vala started and smiled mischievously, “and many, many pleasurable nights.”

“For you, great examples to follow. People I admire,” Cam raised his glass, “and I get to call my friends.”

“For you to find forever in each other, the passion for enduring and the wisdom to share it,” was Teal’c's wish.

“I wish you the happiness of many lifetimes,” Ish’ta bowed at them.

“Mom, dad, each of you are the heroes many people want to be, but they don’t know you together,” Jake O’Neill started. “I do, you are the example of what I want for myself. I raise my glass to you. I couldn’t have better parents.”

“Jack, Sam… you were there when I needed you the most, even with all the screw-ups in the middle, you helped me become who I am,” Cassie grinned. “ I toast for you… for long days and fulfilling lives….”

“You are voices of your Generations, you are important people, you are Generals of the Air Force,” Grace started seriously. “But for me, you will always be mommy and daddy. So, I would like to toast for this room. I can’t explain how grateful I am that it exists. Otherwise, knowing how stubborn you both are, I wouldn’t be here, you wouldn’t be here together today.”

“To this room!” Both Jack and Sam added loudly, making all of them chuckle.

“I toast for you, Jack,” Sam stated, looking at him adoringly. “A man of his word. I love you… always”

“I guess I’m the last one,” Jack chuckled. “What can I add that you guys haven’t said?” he asked, looking at his family. Before his eyes fell on the woman standing by his side. “To you, my love, always! And for a peaceful future in which trying to keep my promise of holding you, doesn’t mean I have to fight half of the Senate to let me go on the ship with you,” he winked at her.

“Always?” she asked, raising her glass.

“Always!” they all raised their glasses at once.

“Hey, Sam… look, there’s cake…”

“You’ll never change, Jack O’Neill,” she whispered as she rolled her eyes and walked away from him. He grinned and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her to him. He dipped her low. Her eyes twinkled with love. “I never want you to change,” she whispered, caressing his cheek, and he could feel her breath against his lips.

“I love you,” he said, caressing her lips with his words.

“Always,” they whispered together before their lips clashed at last.

Their friends turned around, leaving them behind. They knew them for a long time now, and they knew how they loved each other, how they teased each other, and how they belonged to each other. So, while the couple kissed each other senseless, their friends and family continued with their celebration, because they all knew that Sam and Jack weren’t just “a couple,” they were a natural law.

The room only helped to make that known…

THE END


End file.
